Means for locking sparking units.



W. R. COX.

MEANS FOR LOCKING SPARKING UNITS.

aw m m v 0 N D E H N 0 H A c U P P A Patented J an. 15, 1918;

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

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. A TTORNE YS.

WITNESS W. R. COX.

MEANS FOR LOCKING SPARKING umns.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13. 1915- 1 1 ,253,470, Patentea Jan.15,1918.

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TTRNE YS.

w. R. 00x. MEANS FOR LOCKING SPARKING UNITS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. I3. 1-915.

Patented Jan. 15

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENITOR. \ZSLR COX.

ATTORNEYS.

Ill/52% WITNESS iea.

WARREN R. COX, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

' MEANS FOR LOCKIN G SPARKING UNITS. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 15, 1918.

Application filed November 13, 1915. Serial No. 81,263.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, \VARREN R. Cox, citizen of the United States. residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State I of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Locking Sparking Units, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for locking the sparking units of an ignition installation in place on an automobile, the object being to prevent the theft of such units, all substantially as shown and described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the casing in which the sparking units are housed, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the said casing with the cover or top and also the front plate of the locking mechanism removed and showing a portion of the casing broken away.

Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a horizontal section of the complete device or attachment fixed on the front of the dash-board. Fig. 4 is a cross section through the middle of the attachment as seen in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the units shown in Figs. 3 and 4. I

Fig. 6, Sheet 3, is a front view of a. modification of the device, and Fig. 7 is a plan view on horizontal line 77, Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a plan view of another modification of the device, and Fig. 9 is a plan view on horizon tal line 99, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is'a cross section on line 10-10, Fig. 8. Fig. 11, Sheet 1, is a sectional plan view of the locking mechanism.

This invention is related to my Letters Patent, No. 1,015,300, and my application for patent, Ser. No. 49,249, series of 1915, in

both of which cases I show key controlled switch mechanism in the electrical circuit to the engines and adapted to prevent a car or of unit inclosures, boxes or cases C herein shown, and which is seen in Fig. 3 as secured to the dash D, equip the car with the said inclosure or casing but not with the sparking units A nor the locks thereon, which latter arev my invention and are applied to the outside of the casings in the electrical current circuits. The manufacturers of the said units are required to adapt the same to the casings as they find them on the cars and are not at liberty to attach my lock to the exterior of the casing, and have been able also to provide unobjectionable means in this connection to fix the sparking units in the casing, utilizing the same means, to an extent, for both purposes, as will pres ently be seen.

For the present description the current controlling attachment or locking mechanism indicated as a whole by B may be regarded substantially the same as heretofore except in the means for aflixing the same in place, and which, in the present construction, comprises three screws, Fig. 2, through the body 6 into the front of easing C. The two lower screws a fasten to the front wall of the casing and the upper centrally-located screw S has a deeper penetration and the further function of a securing medium of or for the ignition units A in the said casing. It is to be especially noticed that the heads of said screws are seated upon the inside of the back of lock body I) and concealed and covered by the cap 0 on the outside thereof. The said cap or plate 0 is fixed on said body by screws .9, but in order to prevent possible tampering with the lock by removing said screws 1 provide the further precaution of an anchor for said cap which makes it irremovable without the key is even if screws 8 be removed. To this end I provide a tumbler locking mechanism having a barrel 2 adapted to be entered by said key and rotated and provided with a T- shaped inner extremity or head 3 confined within or behind a fixed collar 4 in base b and which has a slot through which said T head can be withdrawn only when the key is in the lock. Otherwise it is turnedto one side from said slot. A thimble or housing It for the said lock is seated Within an opening in said cap 0 and flanged againstthe out side thereof and locked on the inside by a ring shaped nut n screwed thereon. This ties the said parts together, as seen in Fig. 4, and prevents their removal except by the use of the key which unlocks the barrel 2 for a turning movement either to the right or the left, thus placing the T head 3 in alinement with the slot 9 to permit its withdrawal after screws 8 have been removed. Briefly, the cap 0 cannot be removed without the key even though the screws 8 are removed. N or can the switch arm 1" be turned without the use of the key, and the key can only be inserted and withdrawn when the barrel and switch arm are in a neutral or cen tral position, as in Fig. l. The arm 1 serves as a stop each way, and is directly over the upper central fastening screw when the circuit is open and the key removed. The electric circuit is established or closed by the arm segment 5 when engaged with two of the spring contacts 6, one set representing a magneto circuit and the other a battery circuit as customary.

Now, having especially in view the covered and concealed position of said upper fastening screw, bolt or rod S, it is to be further seen that said member is primary in securing the sparking units in place. Thus, in Fig. 7, ll show one kindof such fastening member in the shape of a wood screw 7 of such length as will extend inward a considerable dis tance between the two inner sparking units and engage more or less in the wooden walls of both. The said units are necessarily placed with their sides in contact and the said screw being tapered it has a wedging efiect which tends to spread said units and thereby also lock the outer members of the series. ll have found that this makes a very satisfactory lock for the said units while it utilizes the screw that otherwise is employed in fixing the lock B on the casing. The end walls of the casing C may also be flanged or beaded at their upper edges 6 to engage the top portion of the end units A so that these units may also be locked in place when the two middle units or sections A are spread apart by the screw 7, see Fig. 6.

However, other and equivalent locking means for the units suggest themselves in this connection. Thus, in Figs. 3 and 4:, it show another and in some respects possibly a better locking screw than the foregoing and which in a sense consists in a screw rod or a rod with a wood screw extremity and of a length suflicient to pass through between the said units to the rear thereof and enter the back of the main casing. To make this style of rod-screw or screw rod 8 available I have channeled or grooved the units transversely as seen at 9 in Fig. 5, and which grooves are shown as half round and of a size to accommodate the said screw between them. Then for further locking -or interlocking of the units together T employ short round rods 10 of a suitable material in co- This of the said units, as seen in Fig. 3.

meagre practically interlocks all the said units together and none can be removed without first withdrawing the screw 8. Nor can this be done, as above seen, without first dismantling the locking mechanism by the use of the authorized key 70.

Another modification of the invention is found in Figs. 9 and l0, wherein a groove 12 is shown across the front sides of the four sparking units and which is occupied by a strip or piece 14 adapted to be penetrated and engaged in tightening relations by the screw 15' through the look back 6. Tu all these difierent styles of screw or screw rod the' primary function thereof is to assist in fixing the lock B irremovably in place on the casing C, and then to secure the said units. In a practical sense, therefore, the look as such and the means for confining the units are operatively combined and dependent as shown and described.

The lock B in its broadest sense comprises a body b having a cover a and key controlled parts wherewith the two parts may be aflixed together to prevent unauthorized access behind the cover, and this same structure or a similar organization may be used in connection with a locking element S to fasten the cells of an electric battery within a suitable receptacle. Therefore, the term unit is not intended to be limited to a sparking device alone, as it is also applicable to battery cells and other devices which are housed together within a suitable receptacle C.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a casing and a sparking unit therein, an electric switch for said sparking unit mounted upon said casing, a lock for said switch, and a locking member protected by said switch lock to prevent removal of said unit from said casing.

2. A casing and a plural number of sparking units in juxtaposition therein, an electric current controlling device on said casing for said units, and means at the back of said device engaged withthe said units to lock the same within said casing.

3. A casing and a series of electrical units in said casing, an electric current controlling device on said casing in electrical connection with said units, a cover for said device, a key-controlled locking mechanism for said cover, and means behind said cover having locking relations with saidunits to prevent removal thereof from said casing.

4. A casing and a series of sparking units in said casing, an electric-current-controlling device on said casing having a plate over the front thereof, a key controlled mechanism confining said plate, and means to secure said device on said casing having locking relations with said units, said means com prising a screw projecting through the back of said device and the wall of said casing.

$5,. In combination, a casing, a series of sparking units seated removably in abutting relations within said casing, an electric switch for said sparking units and a cover plate therefor mounted centrally upon said casing, a locking element projected into said casing in interlocking relations with said units from behind said cover plate, and lock and key mechanism for said cover plate.

6. In combination, a casing, a plurality of sparking units seated therein, a switch for said units mounted upon the front of said casing, a cover plate for said switch, locking means for said cover plate, and a locking deviceengaged with said units having an operating part therefor exposed within said switch behind said cover plate.

7. A casing and a plurality of grooved electrical units within said casing, and a locking member for said units projected into the grooves therein, in combination with an electric switch and a locking device therefor covering said locking member at the front of said casing.

8. A casing and a set of electrical units therein having transverse locking seats in juxtaposition therein, and a locking member engaged with said seats and the wall of said casing and interlocking said units together, in combination with a lock having a cover and key-controlled parts inclosing said locking member upon said casing.

9. A plurality of electrical units and a casing containing the same, the said units having grooves in their walls, a locking member occupying said grooves, an electrical switch for said units mounted upon said casing, and a single locking device to safeguard removal of said locking member and also access to said switch.

10. In combination, a casing and a set of sparking units seated in abutting relations therein and therewith, an electrical switch for said units mounted upon said casing, a locking element interposed between said units and extending into said switch, and a locking device covering both said switch and one end of said element to safeguard removal thereof and the units and the switch.

11. A casing and sparking units therein, and an electrical switch for said units mounted upon said casing having a locking device covering the same, and means extending through the back of said switch in locking engaging relations with said units. 12. A casing and a series of sparking units therein, an electric-current-controlling device on the front of said casing and a screw threaded part having a head covered by said device and the body thereof extended in looking relations with said units through the front wall of said casing, in combination with a lock and a cover inclosing said device and head.

13. A casing and a series of sparking units seated side by side therein, a current controlling device on said casing and means for attaching the same to the casing comprising a screw through the back of said device and engaged in confining relations with the said units, in combination with a lock and cover at the front of said device and screw.

14. A casing and a plurality of flat-sided sparking units in said casing having coincident grooves in their sides, in combination with an electric switch mounted on said casing having a removable cover plate and a.

key-controlled lock for operating said switch and locking said cover in place, and a locking screw extending through said casing behind said switch and into said rooves.

15. A casing and a series of sparking units therein having transverse grooves in opposite sides thereof, a screw member projected through said casing and interposed between two ofsaid units, separate rods-in said grooves interlocking other units together with said first two units, in combination with a switch for said units and a single locking device to prevent operation of said switch and access to said screw member.

16. A plurality of'sparkingunits and a casing containing the same, the said units having grooves in their sides, and a screw member engaged at both ends in the wall of said casing and occupying opposite grooves in said units, in combination with a switch for said units and a cover and lock therefor and for said screw member.

17. The combination with a coil-box and a switch-block mounted thereon, of a pluralitv of coils removably engaging said-box,

and a common means for preventing access to the switch and removal of the coils from the coil-box.

In testimony whereof I atiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WARREN n. cox.

Witnesses:

R. B. Moses, GEO. E. Kmcmae. 

